11 Life Lessons Everyone Learns Growing Up In South Dakota

There are some valuable life lessons you learn when you grow up in South Dakota. Whether you leave South Dakota or stay to raise your kids here, these lessons will serve you well wherever you go in life. If you didn’t grow up in here, consider this your cheatsheet to learning lessons everyone else in SD learned the hard way.

No matter how long you have lived in South Dakota, the first snow of the season brings out the bad driving in everyone. It is better to stay off the road altogether than to get caught out on the slippery roads with overzealous drivers.

Hard work is valued and you can build and grow things that you would otherwise have to buy. In the spirit of saving money and living more than two hours from a Walmart, if you live in SD, you must be able to handle a good DIY project.

Whether you're at church or out at the store, it is always important to be polite. Sharing, chewing with your mouth closed, and keeping your elbows off the table are all important things learned while growing up in South Dakota.

South Dakota is a state of beauty, values, and loyalty. The summers are beautiful and the winters really aren't that bad if you are always prepared. But just maybe, it's okay that we are one of the few states with under 1 million people. We enjoy being our own best kept secret.

If you can relate to five or more of these things, you probably grew up in South Dakota. What life lessons did you learn while growing up here? Which lessons did you have to learn the hard way?